Oedipus and the Sphinx - Gustave Moreau
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Description
A classic Symbolist work by Gustave Moreau, depicting the tense psychological encounter between Oedipus and the Sphinx.
Gustave Moreau painted this work in 1864, marking his return to the Paris Salon after a period of absence. It depicts the Greek myth of Oedipus encountering the Sphinx on the road to Thebes. The composition focuses on the direct gaze between the two figures, creating a psychological tension that defines the encounter. The Sphinx, a hybrid creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of a woman, clings to the chest of the young hero. Oedipus stands firm, holding a staff, his expression calm and resolute as he prepares to answer the creature's riddle.
Moreau employs a meticulous technique, influenced by his study of Italian Renaissance masters such as Mantegna and Leonardo da Vinci. The background features a rocky, desolate mountain pass, which contrasts with the precise rendering of the figures. The presence of a decorative column and a small plant in the foreground adds a layer of artifice, common in Moreau's approach to mythological subjects. The remains of previous victims, visible at the base of the painting, provide a grim context for the danger Oedipus faces.
This work is characteristic of the Symbolist movement, which prioritised subjective experience and dreamlike imagery over the objective reality favoured by the Realists. Moreau avoids a literal interpretation of the myth, choosing instead to focus on the enigmatic nature of the interaction. The cool, muted tones of the rock face serve to draw attention to the figures, while the subtle use of light emphasises the physical form of the protagonists. The painting remains a primary example of Moreau's ability to blend classical themes with a personal, imaginative vision, resulting in a work that invites contemplation rather than immediate narrative clarity.
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Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Oedipus and the Sphinx - Gustave Moreau
Artist Biography
Gustave Moreau
He was born in Paris in 1826, a sickly, solitary child who drew compulsively. He trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and fell under the influence of Theodore Chasseriau, an eclectic painter whose depictions of enigmatic sea goddesses left a permanent mark. Chasseriau's death in 1856 shook Moreau badly enough to send him to Italy for two years, where he copied Mantegna, Carpaccio and the Venetians, filling notebooks with studies that fed his work for decades.
His breakthrough came at the 1864 Salon with Oedipus and the Sphinx, a painting that fused classical mythology with a strange, jewelled intensity that critics struggled to categorise. He became the foremost Symbolist painter, working in a style guided by what has been called Neo-Platonist faith: a belief that the physical world was imperfect and that art could capture something closer to divine vision. He never married, regarding the career of an artist as "a true priesthood", though he maintained a discreet relationship with Alexandrine Dureux for decades, subsidising an apartment for her near his family home.
As a teacher at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Moreau proved unexpectedly open-minded. His students included Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault, both of whom credited his insistence on personal expression over academic formula. Andre Breton and Salvador Dali later claimed his Symbolist imagery as a direct precursor to Surrealism.
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